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Western Notes: Rockets, Kaman, Jazz, Goodwin

October 9th, 2013 at 1:25pm CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets head into the 2013/14 season considered one of the legit contenders to come out of the Western Conference, but according to GM Daryl Morey, the Houston roster is still a work in progress.

“We’re not all the way there, we’re not a finished team,” Morey told Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com. “We’re going to be experimenting. We want to be a great team by mid-April.”

In his piece, Windhorst points to Omer Asik as the Rockets’ most significant trade chip, suggesting that it wouldn’t be surprising if the club worked out a deal involving the big center prior to the trade deadline. Here are a few more items from out of the Western Conference:

Chris Kaman was the Lakers‘ “unheralded consolation prize” after they lost out on Dwight Howard in free agency. But Ramona Shelburne of ESPNLosAngeles.com explains why the veteran center could play a crucial role in the team’s season.
After his seeing his role and his production decline during the last several seasons in Golden State, Andris Biedrins says he’s happy to get a “fresh start” with the Jazz, tweets Rusty Simmons of the San Francisco Chronicle.
The Jazz are one of eight NBA teams carrying the maximum 20 players, meaning they’ll need to make at least five cuts before the regular season begins. However, coach Tyrone Corbin says no roster moves are imminent at this point, according to Steve Luhm of the Salt Lake Tribune (via Twitter).
Paola Boivin of the Arizona Republic takes an extensive look at rookie guard Archie Goodwin, who the Suns hope will become a part of the team’s long-term core.

Lowe On Spurs, Randolph, Rockets, Raps, Cavs

October 8th, 2013 at 10:26am CST by Luke Adams

Zach Lowe’s latest piece for Grantland is a lengthy one, as he breaks down all 30 NBA teams by tiers heading into the 2013/14 season. Amidst his evaluations of each club, Lowe also includes several tidbits related to teams’ trade options and cap situations. The entire piece is worth checking out, if only to see where your favorite team lands, but we’ll round up a few of the more interesting notes right here:

While the Spurs didn’t shake up the roster much this offseason, they’re in good position to make an in-season trade if need be, says Lowe. San Antonio has a couple movable expiring contracts (Boris Diaw, Matt Bonner), as well as a number of prospects stashed overseas.
Lowe believes Zach Randolph will finish the year with the Grizzlies, but notes that Memphis’ front office is willing to make bold moves and probably recognizes that Randolph’s trade value will be highest this season.
The Rockets are a a “very strong bet” to make a trade or two during the season.
Both the Wizards and Pistons are among the candidates to make an in-season panic trade, due to increasing pressure to make the playoffs. However, Detroit may not have a ton of appealing trade bait unless the club is willing to dangle Greg Monroe, according to Lowe.
With Kyle Lowry and Rudy Gay both potentially entering contract years, the Raptors could end up being deadline sellers if they get reasonable offers and aren’t in position to reach the postseason.
Although they have plenty of assets of value, the Cavaliers‘ trade options will be somewhat limited if they intend to keep their books clean in the hopes of landing LeBron James next summer.
Moving even one mid-tier salary during the season could create “serious cap flexibility” for the Kings.
The Sixers figure to gauge the market value for veterans Evan Turner and Thaddeus Young before the deadline.
While a Rajon Rondo trade isn’t entirely out of the question, it’s much more likely that the Celtics attempt to move players like Courtney Lee, Brandon Bass, and Kris Humphries, writes Lowe.
In Lowe’s view, “everyone is available” on the Suns, except for perhaps Eric Bledsoe and the team’s rookies.

Amico On Heat, Cole, Bulls, Howard, Casspi

October 6th, 2013 at 7:38pm CST by Zachary Links

Sam Amico of FOX Sports has tons of info in today's column, let's dive in and check out some of the highlights..

The Heat certainly aren't desperate to shake up the roster, but word is they’ve explored what backup point guard Norris Cole may bring in a trade. While Cole is rather inconsistent on offense, he's a very strong on-ball defender.
Amico cautions against reading too much into the reported friction between Bulls GM Gar Forman and coach Tom Thibodeau. Phil Jackson and exec Jerry West didn’t get along in L.A. but they co-existed well enough to see the club win three straight titles. Jackson and GM Jerry Krause got along even worse than that in Chicago, so it shouldn't affect the on-court product at all.
Ron Howard, currently in camp with the Pacers, is someone to keep an eye on. He might not be a fit in Indiana, but execs from around the league feel that he'd be a nice locker room addition to a young squad.
It's early, but Amico came away impressed by Omri Casspi in the Rockets-Pelicans preseason opener. Casspi has languished on the Cavs' bench for the last two years but will look to start anew in Houston.

Rockets Waive Jordan Henriquez

October 4th, 2013 at 5:05pm CST by Chuck Myron

The Rockets have cut center Jordan Henriquez, tweets Jason Friedman of Rockets.com. The 6'11" former Kansas State Wildcat signed a three-year deal with the team in July, but it was entirely non-guaranteed, so Houston isn't on the hook for any of his salary. The move drops the team to 17 players, down from the 19 who began October with the team. The Rockets waived B.J. Young on Wednesday.

Henriquez went undrafted this past June, but he worked out with the Knicks prior to the draft, and saw some run with the Rockets summer league team. He showed enough to earn a brief training camp stint, but presuming another NBA team doesn't claim him off waivers or show interest soon, Henriquez appears destined for the D-League or international ball this year. The Rockets have the option of protecting the D-League rights of up to three of their camp cuts, so perhaps they'll do so with Henriquez in an effort to get him to stay stateside, where they can more easily scout him.

Since Henriquez's deal was for three years, rather than one or two, the Rockets couldn't use the minimum-salary exception on him and instead spent some of their cap room. Still, it was a small investment, since he was only set to make the $490K rookie minimum, and because the deal was non-guaranteed, the money goes back toward Houston's cap space.

Patrick Beverley, Ronnie Brewer, Greg Smith and Reggie Williams, all NBA veterans, are the only remaining Rockets without fully guaranteed deals. Houston has 13 players with full guarantees on their contracts, so two of the four vets are in danger of finding themselves without an NBA job on opening night.

Southwest Rumors: Carter, Howard, Pelicans

October 4th, 2013 at 1:27pm CST by Zachary Links

The latest news out of the Southwest Division..

Even though Vince Carter is closing in on his 37th birthday and is in the final year of his contract, he doesn't plan on retiring anytime soon, writes Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram. He won't talk about a timetable, but he says that his body is telling him he's got a few years of basketball left in him. Carter averaged 13.4 PPG last season off of the bench in just 26 minutes per night.
Dwight Howard spoke to Howard Beck of Bleacher Report about the importance of coach Kevin McHale in his free agent decision. "I feel like me and Kevin just have a special relationship already, from just the first time we’ve talked until now," the Rockets center said. "He said he watched almost all my games. It was just a shock. You got Kevin McHale, one of the greatest players to play the game, our coach, dissecting my game and all my tapes."
The Pelicans have an unprecedented amount of depth this season, writes Jimmy Smith of The Times-Picayune. Point guard Jrue Holiday says the 2011/12 Sixers are the only team he can remember being on with similar strength off the bench. "I think our first team, and our second team, if that's what you want to call it, are starters," Holiday said. "They're just as good as the first team. That definitely makes practice more competitive. It makes the starters better and the second team better, too."

Texas Notes: Parsons, Alexander, Mavericks

October 3rd, 2013 at 9:49pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Without a doubt, Chandler Parsons proved to be one of the most intriguing young talents in the NBA last season, averaging 15.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG, and 3.5 APG while shooting .486/.385/.729 across the board. Not to mention that the 6'9 forward is set to earn around $925K this year and is entering the third season of a four-year contract in Houston. Any team with hopes of landing the precocious neophyte via free agency may not have that chance, as Rockets owner Leslie Alexander was clear about his long-term commitment to Parsons:

"He'll be here. We'll sign Chandler. We always do. Nobody's ever left. He's an integral part of the team. We don't want to let a terrific player go" (Mark Berman of FOX 26)

Here's more news and notes to pass along out of the Lone Star State tonight, including more from Berman:

The Rockets' interest in keeping Parsons around for a long time is clearly mutual, based on Parsons' reaction to Alexander's comments: "I know at the end of the day it's a business, but when you have someone's word like that and you're happy here and you got a good thing going, I don't see this changing. I want to be here. So it's a good match."
With a history that includes bringing in Clyde Drexler, Charles Barkley, Scottie Pippen, and Tracy McGrady to Houston, Alexander says that Dwight Howard has been "most important acquisition."
Tim Cowlishaw of SportsDayDFW thinks it'll be a miracle if the Mavericks approach 50 wins this season, instead offering 44-45 wins as a more realistic number.
Though the Mavs have 15 players signed to guaranteed contracts, head coach Rick Carlisle took notice of training camp invitee Renaldo Balkman: "He avoids the catastrophic mistakes some younger guys tend to struggle with" (Dwain Price of the Star-Telegram via Twitter).
In this video from Spurs.com, Manu Ginobili speaks to the media about holding training camp at the Air Force Academy, which just so happens to be head coach Gregg Popovich's alma mater.
In another clip from the Spurs' team website, Marco Belinelli briefly comments about camp and says that his experiences with coach Tom Thibodeau in Chicago has helped him adapt to coach Popovich's expectations thus far.

Odds & Ends: Nelson, D12, Blazers, Gomes

October 2nd, 2013 at 4:40pm CST by Luke Adams

As news of the first few cuts of training camp begins to trickle in, let's round up a few odds and ends from around the Association….

Jameer Nelson realizes that he could eventually become a trade chip as the Magic continue their rebuilding process, but for now he's focusing on his role as a team leader and mentor, as Josh Robbins of the Orlando Sentinel details.
Dwight Howard and Stan Van Gundy are more than a year removed from their days in Orlando, but Howard tells Bill Reiter of FOX Sports (Twitter link) that his former coach played a part in his free agent decision this summer, encouraging him to consider the Rockets.
While the Blazers' announcement that they've exercised third-year options for Damian Lillard, Meyers Leonard, and Thomas Robinson could be viewed as "trivial housekeeping," Mike Tokito of the Oregonian suggests it's a good sign for the improving long-term health of the team.
Ryan Gomes earned another $25K when he wasn't waived by the Thunder by October 1st, as Mark Deeks of ShamSports.com outlines in his breakdown of Gomes' deal.
Ron Anderson, who spent the 2012/13 season with the Tulsa 66ers and played for the Thunder in Summer League play this year, has agreed to a one-year deal with Argentina's Estudiantes Concordia, reports Shams Charania of RealGM.com (via Twitter).

Rockets Release B.J. Young

October 2nd, 2013 at 3:08pm CST by Luke Adams

The Rockets have reduced their training camp roster to 18 players, announcing today that B.J. Young has been released, according to Jason Friedman of Rockets.com (Twitter link). The team will have to cut at least three more players before opening night to get down to 15 players, the regular season limit.

Young, 20, went undrafted out of Arkansas in June after deciding to forgo his remaining two years of NCAA eligibility. The Rockets inked him to a deal in July, guaranteeing him $40K in his rookie year, but the team ultimately opened camp with more than 15 players on fully or partially guaranteed deals, so at least one of those players needed to be cut. Young represents the first camp casualty for Houston, though perhaps he'll end up with the club's D-League affiliate, the Rio Grande Valley Vipers.

With Young no longer in the mix, the Rockets figure to land on a 15-man roster that includes some combination of their 13 guaranteed players, their two partially guaranteed players (Ronnie Brewer, Reggie Williams), and their three non-guaranteed players (Patrick Beverley, Jordan Henriquez, Greg Smith).

Aldridge On Hollins, Del Negro, Monroe, Rosas

September 30th, 2013 at 8:01pm CST by Chuck Myron

TNT's David Aldridge, in his weekly column for NBA.com, caught up with a pair of coaches who find themselves out of work despite recent success. Former Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins and ex-Clippers bench boss Vinny Del Negro both want to get back into coaching, but of the two, Hollins seems more upset over his dismissal.

"For me, it was just getting over, trying to digest what happened," Hollins said. "Like the beautiful girl when she was rejected, what did I do wrong? And when I analyzed it, I don't think I did anything wrong. I think they made a decision, and that was it. Now, whatever they may say, I don't think is what really [happened] behind the scenes. They wanted to hire somebody different."

Aldridge has more from Hollins, and he also passes along a few other tidbits from around the league, so let's dive in:

Hollins would have been willing to take a discount to stay with the Grizzlies. "The market out there was $4MM [per year] for four years," he told Aldridge. "And I could have lived with that if they had come to me and said, 'We can't pay this.' But they never offered me a contract. Ever. They didn't talk to me for 10 days. But none of that really matters. It's their team, their money, and they can do what they want."
It's "highly unlikely" that Greg Monroe will sign an extension with the Pistons before the October 31st deadline for him to do so, sources tell Aldridge. That's no surprise, as Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors has detailed.
The Spurs wanted to bring Gersson Rosas to their front office before the Mavs hired him as GM this summer, according to Aldridge. Rockets GM Daryl Morey, under whom Rosas worked as VP of basketball operations, credits Rosas as "the driving force" behind the success Houston has had with its D-League affiliate.

Lakers Rumors: Free Agency, Dwight, SGs

September 29th, 2013 at 11:30pm CST by Chuck Myron

Boston Globe scribe Gary Washburn's weekly look around the NBA includes a dispatch from Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak's chat with reporters this week in which Kupchak made it clear that his team won't settle for second-tier free agents.

"I know at some point in time we’ll be able to put together a very competitive and attractive team," Kupchak said. "I don’t think this is a franchise that can take 15 years to build through the draft. The worst thing you can do is be burdened with contracts that are $6-$7-$8MM a year that go out three or four years and have average players, and you’re kind of stuck in the middle. You’re not going to get a good draft choice and you don’t have financial flexibility. So in my opinion, we’re probably best set up as we can be for the future."

While Kupchak ponders future Lakers, here's more on Lakers past and present:

Dwight Howard appeared to waver on his choice to join the Rockets before it became official, but the ex-Laker insists to Sam Amick of USA Today that he was firm in his decision, and that his 11th-hour meeting with Kupchak was always part of the plan.
The Lakers have loaded up on shooting guards to cover for Kobe Bryant, who's still without a timetable for his return from injury, as Marc J. Spears of Yahoo! Sports examines.
This is the final season on the contracts of most of the players on the Lakers roster, and that can either lead to motivated team play or selfish, stat-driven gunning, posits Mike Bresnahan of the Los Angeles Times.